The Impact of a learning Organization

Introduction

Learning is an important aspect of human life. There is a lesson in every incident that takes part in our life. Learning is a continuous process of gaining knowledge, competencies and skill development (Bashin 2019).

 

As a person, mentioned below are few of the benefits of learning

1.      Growing income and status

2.      Access to new opportunities

3.      Self confidence

4.      Important to achieve goals

 

It is important for an organization to create a learning environment where to be in competition with the high pace changes in the business world. (Asian Development Bank 2017). Marsick (1994) Organization learning is a process of ‘coordinated systems change, with mechanisms built in for individuals and groups to access, build and use organizational memory, structure and culture to develop long term organizational capacity (Armstrong 2006). Organizational learning outcomes, though seems like a cost is actually a contribution as in knowledge and skill.

 

The leadership should be really loud about the importance of learning. The employees should be given the impression that there is no sustenance without learning. To execute a learning organization effectively, there should be people who are reflective practitioners and team work is a key component in such organizations (Asian Development Bank 2017).  

 

In the plantation sector, the employee force should be educated on the job. The learning becomes very important especially for the management staff (Kankaani) as they perform a job role of a operations manager, maybe a General Manager’s role in a small tea estate. It is important that the owners or the educated management to take adequate measures to create a learning environment as in enforcing different strategies to overcome challenges (i.e. working with the labor shortage, unpredictable climate, experimenting new systems etc.). One of the most successful way is to create a learning environment with this nature of employees is to share as much as information with them and get them implement them blindfolded. Mostly their learning comes through hands on experience

 

Conclusion

Leaderships of organizations should give importance in creating a learning environment. They should buy the correct people who can create such environment. For an industry like the Sri Lankan plantation industry the most suitable learning system is on the job learning.

 

 

 

Bashin 2019 – https://www.marketing91.com/importance-of-learning/#:~:text=The%20importance%20of%20learning%20is%20that%20it%20helps%20the%20individual,help%20in%20reaching%20specific%20goals.

 

Asian Development Bank 2017 – Knowledge Solutions

Armstrong 2006 – Human Resource Management Practice

Cultural fit and Recruitment

Money is not the number one thing that encourages people to join a workplace or to remain productively for a longer period. Culture is the X factor. It is a fact that you need people who can solve your problems, but it is equally important to adopt to the organizational culture (Patel 2018).  In order to set good cultural values as expected by the founders, it is very important to have the right people in the key positions.

 

According to Newsome (2020) Benefits of Culture fit recruitment

1.      Reduces employee turnover.

2.      Create better working environment as a result productivity will increase

3.      It will attract top talent

4.      Naturally motivates employees

5.      An investment (credibility, reputation and brand image)

6.      Supports a positive brand image. The employees work in a good work culture rave for working there.

 

It is important to recruit the right people. You need people with skills, stars and the ability to adopt to the organization culture. Firms that recruit based on culture fit first are significantly less likely to fail (eCorner 2017). It is very important to identify the personal attributes in the hiring process to avoid cultural mismatches.

 

Communicating the company culture values throughout the recruitment process is very important. Adaptability of the candidate can be identified through the information provided in the CV, by asking culture fit questions, pre-employment assessment etc.

 

If you don’t address culture in the recruitment process, both parties will end up in making a mismatch and will negatively contribute to both parties (Newsome 2020).

 

In Sri Lanka, the primary education system is outdated. Physical punishment, scolding etc., are being largely practiced instead of positive reinforcement. Though many measures were taken, the culture in the Schools remain unchanged. To bring in this change effectively, the education department should identify the potentials who can bring in this cultural value to the system. From the department till the schools, key position holders should be those who can influence this change into the others.

 

Conclusion

It is very important to recruit the people who fit into the culture. Communicating this during the recruitment process is necessary. The key positions of the organization should be held by those who match the founders’ vision.

 

References

Patel 2018 –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWtfTZ1i6yU

Newsome 2020 – https://www.4cornerresources.com/blog/why-cultural-fit-is-important-for-your-hiring-strategy/   

eCorner 2017 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLHp25mUd40

Using Suitable Interview Techniques to Select Proper Candidates

Having the right people in an organization is as important as having correct machinery and the raw materials that would produce the perfect output. Without proper human resources, an organization will never achieve its goals instead may end up not surviving.

In a research conducted amongst 486 managers in the public and private sector of Australia, interview was the common technique used (Hede, Dingsdag 1994). Although information is provided in the Application/CV, the interview will give a better understanding on the capability of executing the tasks, fitting into the organization and most importantly the attitude of the person (Armstrong 2006 p440).

Although interview is the most common method used, the techniques used at the interview has a big impact on the selection.

During an Interview you should virtually open the door of your organization to the interviewee. You check the competency of the interviewee of being able to be a part of the organization in every manner. Hence it is very important to connect with the interviewee. The interviewee should feel comfortable and should be assessed in a manner where how he/she would cope to situations. Instead of listening to their success stories, make them talk over their failures and how they handled. Instead of their academic and professional achievements, they should made to speak about their personality, emotions, ambitions, priorities (de Ros 2017). Similarly, the interviewer should provide accurate information about the organization and the job role so that the interviewee knows if he can adopt to the requirements (Armstrong 2006 p441).

In Sri Lanka, the interviewer is mostly not prepared. They rush through the interview with some irrelevant questions (Dharmasiri 2017). Another common mistake is that holding unwanted superiority and make the interviewee uncomfortable. These approaches lead into selecting the wrong person. As per the US department of labour, bad hiring decisions equal to 30% of the employees first year earning potentials (Dharmasiri 2017).  

Conclusion

Interviews should be conducted in a manner the interviewer and the interviewee have a good conversation. Both parties will be able to know their expectations and make appropriate decisions.

References

Armstrong 2006 p440 Human Resource Management Practice. 10^th Edition by Michael Armstrong.

Hede, Dingsdag 1994 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1468-2389.1994.tb00127.x

de Ros 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNuMpnxLhK8

Dharmasiri 2017 http://www.ft.lk/columns/Recruitment-interviewing-in-Sri-Lanka-Problems-and-prospects/4-641554

The Invention of Human Resource Management

 Figure 1 (Mohamed Shouman 2015)

Prior to the industrial revolution early in the 18^th century, people used to have small scale businesses or was involved in agriculture as their daily bread earners. In the 1300s when the black death took over 20 million lives across the Europe. As a result, many farms became vacant and labour mobility was increased with a high wage economy (Allen 1992 pp. 37 – 77). The revolution did not stop there. The crops of Britain increased, i.e. the wool industry of Britain boomed with excess produce of wool and the transportation system improved rapidly with the invention of coal as fuel. People started to prefer living in the cities for villages as there was more opportunities for higher earnings.

Diversified people (Different from places, skills, background) gathered in one work place and resulted in larger output. With this an organization needed to have different level of employees who can operate the machineries, address the technical issues, handle the customers and suppliers, make decision making etc. Such workplace environment demanded the well being of the employee in different levels.

During this period Robert Owen (1771-1858) a successful British entrepreneur was one of the earliest Management thinkers to realize the importance of human resource. He believed in having a good working environment will bring out the best out of an employee thus he brought in concepts such as restricted working hours, restrictions in child labour etc (Management Development Research Foundation, New Delhi 2001). 

Also, Charles Babbage (1791-1871) a British Professor of Mathematics introduced the concepts of division of labour, employee training and monitoring the performances of the employees (Management Development Research Foundation, New Delhi 2001).   

With these basic concepts, HRM is being taken into great heights. Theories of Fredric Winslow Taylor, Elton Mayo, Theory X and Theory Y etc., are some of the highlights. HRM has definitely benefited both the employee and the employer. The concepts when applied effectively have opened paths to organizations to perform as a team where the benefits are high for the employee and the employer. The Employee is been looked after and the Employer is being well served.

 

References

Robert C Allen 2009

https://books.google.lk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=mc4LAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT10&dq=industrial+revolution&ots=8GHIgm-XbK&sig=hXdRdB9HLi1ZmEHmX5-fUjpsU2Y&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

Management Development Research Foundation, New Delhi 2001

http://mdrf.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Review-of-Management-Vol.-1-No.-2-June-2011.pdf#page=127

Mohamed Shouman 2015

https://www.hrrevolution.me/history-of-human-resources/